Paris-Berlin night train rescued after service was scrapped to cut costs

"Austrian rail provider ÖBB confirmed in September that its two popular night train routes from Paris to Berlin and Paris to Vienna will be scrapped in December , after the French government announced its assistance for the service was to be scrapped in a bid to cut the public deficit. Without financial support from the French government, rail operators ÖBB and German's DB have indicated they would not be willing to bear the costs alone."

"But now, the Belgian-Dutch operator European Sleeper plans to open reservations on December 16th and begin operating the line between the French and German capitals on March 26th, 2026. Its service will operate three times a week with departures expected to be from Gare du Nord on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings, while the return service from Berlin Hauptbahnhof and Ostbahnhof will be on Monday, Wednesday and Friday."

"European Sleeper intends to make the journey via Brussels, with precise route details and timings currently being confirmed with infrastructure managers in France, Belgium and Germany. The European Sleeper company, which belongs to a community of over 6,000 co-owners, is simultaneously launching a third campaign to raise a total of €2.3 million from individuals, investors and institutions to finance the costs of acquiring rolling stock and offset "potential initial losses during the startup phase"."

European Sleeper plans to relaunch a Paris–Berlin overnight service, opening reservations on 16 December and starting operations on 26 March 2026. The service will run three times weekly with departures from Gare du Nord on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings and returns from Berlin Hauptbahnhof and Ostbahnhof on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. ÖBB announced in September that its Paris–Berlin and Paris–Vienna night routes will be scrapped in December after the French government withdrew financial assistance to cut the public deficit. ÖBB and DB indicated they would not bear the costs alone without French support. European Sleeper intends to route the service via Brussels and is raising €2.3 million to acquire rolling stock and cover potential startup losses, backed by a community of over 6,000 co-owners.

Read at The Local France